Re: V-Rod

[Robert Silas <robert.silas@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tom,
During my trips in Europe I see many bike models which never made this continent, we never see them here.  Most of those bikes have a"normal", a "neutral" seating position, which today can only be found here on BMWs and on the new Triumph(?).  

If I were to buy a new bike today, it would be difficult to find one on which I am not either folded in half nor laying on my stomach. Adding to my problem is that I am short and old so I need a relatively comfortable position to do 650-700 miles a day for over 2 weeks, every day.

I ride  a '94 R100RS (100,000 miles) to which I had to do some modifications to suit my comfort.  I installed 3-sets of bar-backs on top of each other so my grips came approx. 7 inches closer and 2 inches higher.  A foot-peg lowering kit is also installed.  Airflow screen and Corbin seat (it's as hard as it was 90,000 miles ago).

With the exception of a 100 cc moped, I started my biking on a KS600 Zundapp boxer in 1947.  Then I had another of the same bike, so I spent most of my riding on bikes with boxer engines.  I like boxers although none of them smooth but another advantage was/is that the cylinder saved my legs a few times.
Bob Silas 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Tom Brown 
  To: BMW Oilhead List 
  Sent: Saturday, October 16, 2004 7:11 AM
  Subject: V-Rod


  Robert and Others:

  All this "tragic V-Rod" talk reminds me of another engine I love in need of 
  a good, comfortable bike.   The Aprilia/Rotax 60 degree, dry sump V-twin.. 
  Although the Mille is comfortable for a race rep bike, it's really not 
  comfortable for sport touring.   I've done a few weekends with it.  Storage 
  is a real problem.  I have to stuff everything in a double height tank bag 
  and in the compartment under the back seat.  Not much room at all.   I 
  bought a Corbin for it.  They're not my favorite seat, but there's was the 
  only one available.   I recently put some adjustable bars on it.   These 
  helped a little, but a lot less than I hoped.

  The Futura is supposed to answer the call for a sport touring Mille, but it 
  really doesn't hit the mark.  It looks goofy and is plagued with electrical 
  gremlins.   My test ride of that found less wind protection than I'd liike 
  and truly boring handling and a very tamed down engine...different FI and 
  exhaust.   During my whole demo ride, there was a warning light of some kind 
  showing and the dealer had no idea how to fix this short of cutting a wire 
  or pulling a bulb.   No clue as to the root cause of this problem.

  The Mille engine is So Fine.   It has a marvelous sound, goes like stink and 
  has twin balance shafts that really kill vibrations.   It's just such a fun 
  bike.   All it needs is telelever, paralever, upright seating position, 
  storage, a bigger powered windscreen......In short, BMW ergos.


  Ducati's ST series is pretty good, but again, the frame geometry is really 
  conservative and it doesn't really supply all the virtues of a BMW.   I 
  owned an ST4 and didn't think it was much more comfortable than my Mille, 
  which is easily twice the fun.    I sold the Duc and was happy I did. 
  Maintenance on those bike is really scary to me.   I do my own valves and 
  throttle synchs on the RT and enjoy the excersize.  Can't say that about the 
  Mille, but it really requires very little service.   Just spritz the chain 
  every couple tanks of gas.   The Italian idea of a sport touring bike 
  involves the face shield in the wind.   I've been spoiled by my RT with 
  large windscreen.  I just love it when I get home from a thousand mile 
  weekend and see all the bugs on the screen that weren't able to reach me. 
  This is a terrific feature of the RT that I have a real problem living 
  without now.   Also, because the jugs are out on the sides of the bike and 
  in the wind, the heat buildup is never as severe as with a water-cooled 
  V-Twin or inline 4.   The Mille, the V-Rod and the Yamaha YJ1300 all put a 
  bunch of heat somewhere near the rider.  The RT's fairing design allows the 
  engine to stay cool without baking the rider at all.

  Oilheads are pretty special bikes, I guess.    Everytime I ride something 
  else, I remember why I like them so much.

  When will these companies see the light?    Not soon, I fear.   The Yamaha 
  YJ1300 is not a great seller in spite of its virtues.  I think part of the 
  problem is that it just looks boring and a little cheap in spots.  BMW guys 
  are used to pretty high build standards and this bike just seems to miss the 
  mark.  The Honda ST1300 has better build quality, but they made it too heavy 
  and thick and then put some goofy stying elements on it.   I have seen a few 
  of these really well accessorized that look terrific, however.   Perhaps a 
  few bugs still need to be ironed out of these bikes before people warm up to 
  them?

  I'd expect Harley to get into a sport bike, Buell type of thing or maybe 
  just a super-standard with the V rod engine before sport touring.  The 
  market for sport touring bikes is just not there and it would be a lot more 
  work and money to put together a good sport touring package.    Since Buell 
  is pretty much the sport bike arm of Harley, we might expect a Buell sort of 
  product with this V-rod engine.   I think that might work if they don't 
  over-engineer it to be some sort of future-bike with every silly geegaw 
  possible on it...like oil in the frame and a tiny size.    If they'd just 
  make a bike that people could ride, they'd sell a ton.

  -TB

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